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The ingredients contained in the longest surviving beer recipe found in a nearly 4,000-year-old Mesopotamian poem are essentially unchanged today.

The Hymn to Ninkasi, the Sumerian goddess of beer, breaks down the brewing process so that it can be repeated by subsequent generations. However, the brewing giants of today are risking the wrath of the ancient gods with a major alteration to the finished product – removing the alcohol.

This is where the battle for domination is likely to be fought over the next decade and beyond.

Growth in conventional beer sales is stalling around the world as an increasing number of people become more focused on health and well-being. Zero or low-alcohol beer could...